LOSING FACE: Despite the look on receiver Steve Smith's face during Thursday's 26-6 loss at Denver, the Giants still believe they can get their season back on track. Photo: Getty Images

The more you see of the Giants, the more you figure they aren’t made of the right stuff.

The more you hear from the Giants, the more you get the idea they are in denial about what they are and where they’re going.

Minutes after a desultory 26-6 loss in Denver that combined embarrass ingly inept offense and typically indecisive de fense, Brandon Jacobs was asked if he has great concern, considering the way the Giants are playing. The running back shook his head more firmly than he has hit the hole in recent weeks.

“No, because I know we got a lot of talent and I know at some point it’s going to pick up,” Jacobs said. “We got to really get our engines going for these next couple of weeks.”

To say the offensive engine sputtered in Denver’s thin mile-high air would be inaccurate, because sputtering indicates there was once a start.

The struggles on defense are nothing new, and by now the issues on that side of the ball are well- documented. Thursday’s sad showing on offense — nothing resembling a touchdown and a strange, confused state all night — surfaced as a new failing. Eli Manning was coming off two marksman-like outings, and the Giants had every reason to believe they would amass points and accomplish what four consecutive opponents were able to do against the Broncos.

Instead, Jacobs looked more ready for a pillow fight than a football brawl. The experienced offensive line, usually so adept at making in-game adjustments, never figured out blocking angles against the ever-shifting Denver defensive front. When Manning had all the time he needed, none of the young receivers broke free downfield.

“We have to play harder than we did,” Jacobs said. “We looked terrible as a unit. We got to play way better than we played. If we don’t, we’ll just never have a chance to do anything.”

The chances already are dwindling as the Giants embark on the hoping and praying stage of their season. For the past three weeks, the Giants have admitted to being in “must win” or “last stand” mode. They collapsed down the stretch in a 21-20 loss to the Chargers, regrouped after the bye and withstood a second-half defensive meltdown in a 34-31 overtime victory over the Falcons then spent Thanksgiving looking disinterested and dysfunctional in Denver.

“I will try to be as polite as I can. It [stinks],” center Shaun O’Hara said. “Losing is by far the worst feeling in the world ,and to know that you lost in basically the prime-time game on one of the biggest football days of the year, it’s very upsetting. I think we are all hurting a little bit right now, and I think the way in which we lost is just as painful as the loss itself.”

Now comes a game on Dec. 6 against the first-place Cowboys (8-3) at Giants Stadium. The NFC East title is long gone and a wild-card playoff berth will require a hot streak, plus help. If the Giants find a way to snap out of it and beat the Cowboys, the season will live on. The Giants perhaps will be on fumes, but still breathing. If they lose to Dallas, back up the truck and start planning for 2010.

“We still control our destiny,” Justin Tuck said. “If we do what we’re capable of doing we’ll be right where we need to be but we aren’t going to be able to do it playing like that.”

Some players, O’Hara said, need to “step up a notch” by taking their job more seriously. Defensive tackle Barry Cofield insisted any “We’re the Giants and we’ll get out of this” thinking is not the way to go.

“I hope guys aren’t resting too much on what’s been done in the past because this is a completely different team and we’ve got a completely different set of challenges,” Cofield said. “We can either address them and excel or we can continue to go downhill.”

Giants Report Card:

OFFENSE

What the heck has happened to the big guys up front? The run blocking lacks bite and Elvis Dumervil busted free for two sacks, one when he sped past Brandon Jacobs (11 carries, 27 yards), who ran as if he was wearing ankle weights. DJ Ware (4-27) fumbled the ball away, which doesn’t help him gain the trust of the coaches. As for Eli Manning (24-of-40, 230 yards, one interception), the rhythm he came in with went poof as he failed to get his club into the end zone. He wasn’t helped by his young receivers, who couldn’t get open vs. CB Champ Bailey and others. — F

DEFENSE

Showed some fight early with two rare red zone stops to force field goals, but there’s not much going on here. Never really got control of RB Knowshon Moreno (19-88, one touchdown) and at times tackling appeared to be optional. CB Corey Webster continues to regress. He was called for a face-mask penalty and stood by as Brandon Marshall (6-86) made two leaping one-handed grabs. Blown coverage (C.C. Brown) allowed a ridiculously-easy TD for Brandon Stokley. Once again, no heat on Kyle Orton. –F

SPECIAL TEAMS

Lawrence Tynes liked the thin air, hitting two field goals, the second from 52 yards. Jeff Feagles also had fun, dropping three of his five punts inside the 20 and nullifying the return game of Eddie Royal. Allowing a 41-yard kick return to Correll Buckhalter wasn’t necessary. –B

COACHING

Tom Coughlin has failed to establish a physical mindset on either side of the ball. He speaks about solid preparation and quality meetings, yet his club is coming apart at the seams. He’s going to have to start making some lineup changes. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has to do more to put DEs Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck in position to make plays. Sheridan also has yet to solve the coverage lapses that allow opposing receivers to run free. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride tried to run the ball, but it went nowhere. –F